Draft beer on the go: A guide to growlers

The Logon Cafe is now offering ten new craft beer taps to work with their growler service. The 64 ounce growler is a great way to take home some fresh draft beer. Randy Edwards/cat5

Quietly and with great purpose, the Logon Cafe has reinvented itself.

There’s new decor, colorful patio furniture, a music lineup that often features Victoria House bookings and, perhaps most importantly: 10 shiny new craft beer taps and the addition of a beautiful little thing called “growler service.”

A growler is a 64-ounce sealable glass container that can be filled with beer, brought home, consumed, washed and refilled with more beer. With a growler, you can enjoy draft Southern Star, Karbach, Saint Arnold, Rahr & Sons or Ziegenbock in the setting of your choice. The Logon’s commitment to Texas craft beer makes its tap roster even more enticing.

For $16, the Logon will fill up any certified growler, label it for reference and seal it for legal transport home. If you don’t own a growler, you can purchase one for about $10. Its amber-colored glass will protect your beer from degrading in sunlight.

Let’s make a craft beer cost analysis: a growler contains four pints of beer, which makes each pint $4. Since the Logon’s craft pints cost $4.75 a piece, you’re getting a $3 discount by drinking four pints from a growler. In Houston, growlers on average cost $12 to $20 per fill-up. Alternatively, an average six-pack of craft beer at a liquor store or supermarket costs $8 to $9 and contains 72 ounces of beer.

Cans and bottles purchased at stores may be the more economical option, but growlers give your take-home beer an added just-from-the-tap freshness. Plus, they’re more fun to bring to parties, as you can control how much you pour. Instead of wasting whole cans of your favorite beers at craft beer swaps, pour a little taster from your growler.

More than being great party accessories, growlers are reusable, which means less fodder for landfills. Hand wash with warm, soapy water and you’re ready for another 64 ounces of craft beer.

A couple rules for growler care and use: secure your growler when transporting to avoid foamy beers, and always keep your growler refrigerated. Sealed, refrigerated growlers last seven to 10 days. Opened growlers last two to three days. Don’t forget to clean your growler promptly after all the beer is gone.

And never drive to Houston without an empty, clean vessel. Your Logon growler can also bring back tasty Houston microbrews.